Rail-joint.



No. 744,577; PATENTED NOV. 17, 1903.

G. H. LITTLE.

RAIL JOINT. I APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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WASHINGTON. u. c.

UNITED STATES Patented November 17, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL-JOINT.

SfEGIFIGATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 744,577, dated November17, 1903.

I Application filed May 6,1903. Serial No. 155,910. (No model.)

T on whom it may concern.-

, them to be bound firmly together 'Without the use of bolts, spikes, orother similar fastening devices.

The invention consists in providing one end .of each rail with alongitudinally-extending slot, and a curved tongue is formed in eachside of this slot. The otherend of the rail has alongitudinally-extencling tongue, and the end wall of said rail isrecessed at points adjacent to the inner end of the tongue for thereception of curved tongues similar to those hereinabove referred to.

The invention further consists in the novel construction, combination,and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fullyhereinafter described and'claimed, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing two railsconstructed in accordance with my invention and secured together. Fig. 2is a perspective view of one end of a rail, and Fig. 3 is a similar Viewof the other end of said rail.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 is a rail having alongitudinally-extending slot 2 in one end thereof. This end of the railis cut away at the sides of the slot to form curved tongues 3, andcurved these tongues.

shoulders 4 are located at the inner ends of The other end of the railhas a longitudinally-extending tongue 5 equal in area to the slot 2,before referred to, and the end of the rail adjacent to the inner end oftongue 5 has curved recesses 6 therein at opposite'sides of the tongueand equal in area to the tongues 3. These are enlarged at their outerends to'accommodate the shoulders 4.

When it is desired to secure together rails constructed in the mannerherein described, it is merely necessary to place the tongues 5 in theslots 2 and then force the rails together. This will cause the curvedtongues 3 to bear in the recesses 6, and they will clamp upon 0f therails are preferably thickened at their ends, as shown at 8, to permitthe slot 2 to be formed therein and to strengthen said rails at thepoints where the recesses 6 are formed.

By providing the tank 5 and fitting it within the slot '2 it will beseen that when the wheels of a car pass over the joint the weight isdivided on the ends ofthe two rails and pounding or jolting is thusprevented.

In the foregoing description I have shown the preferred form of myinvention; but I do not limit myself thereto, as I am awarethatmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spiritor sacrificing the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve the rightto make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of my invention'Having thus described the invention,what is claimed as new is 1. In arail joint, the combination with a rail having a longitudinallyextending slot therein and curved tongues at opposite sides.

of the slot; of a second rail havingalongitudinally-extending tongue atone end thereof equal in area to the slot in the first-mention ed rail,the end of said rail adjacent to the inner end of the tongue beingprovided with curved recesses for the reception of the curved tongues,whereby said tongues may be forced to bind upon thelongitudinally-oxtending tongue.

2. Arail having a longitudinally-extending slot in one end thereof,curved tongues at opposite sides of the slot, shoulders at the innerends of the tongues, alongitudinally-extending tongue at the other endof the rail equal in area to the slot, said end having curved recessestherein equal in area to the curved tongues, said recesses beingenlarged for the reception of shoulders similar to those adjacent to thecurved tongues.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of witnesses.

CHARLES H. LITTLE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE L. SPENCER, EMMA A. KEATING, ELIZA J. KEATING.

